Sunday, October 09, 2005
By MARY JANE CAYLOR
For The Times

Bicentennial events filled the calendar, and they aren't over.

Huntsville is 200 years old this year, and parties, events, activities and celebrations have filled the past nine months.

The Bicentennial Commission was established to coordinate, plan and execute the myriad of activities to celebrate this special birthday for our city. Huntsville has always had a rich heritage and has a broad array of cultural exhibits, museums, arts and entertainment as well as a sincere preservation of Huntsville's history.
The logo for the bicentennial is representative of the early history of Huntsville to the space exploration Huntsville is known for across the world.

On Jan. 20, the 1955 Sesquicentennial Time Capsule was unearthed on the courthouse square, and the artifacts have been on display at the historic Weeden House during the year. Historic markers were created from photographs of Huntsville's history and have been on display throughout the city. Let's hope local museums will place these historic photo collections on permanent display in area museums after the celebrations have concluded.

Huntsville is the Rocket City of the world, so we decided to adorn our city with artistically embellished symbols of Huntsville's heritage. The Huntsville Bicentennial Commission presented the "Huntsville Bicentennial Blastoff" with local schools, businesses, organizations and individuals decorating a model of the Saturn V rocket for display.

Beginning on July 26 and continuing through Aug. 4, the City Council district events were held across the city:
Birthday Party I: "Freedom to Learn, a rich tradition of Education in Huntsville. Alabama A&M University,

Tuesday, July 26.
Birthday Party II: "Blast from the Past," a step back in time to when downtown was the center of business, government and entertainment. Downtown around the Square,

Thursday, July 28.
Birthday Party III: "Rollin' on the River, Strollin' on the Moon," from the waters of the earth to the surface of the moon, miles and miles away. Ditto Landing,

Monday, Aug 1.
Birthday Party IV: "Cotton Mills to Space, walking in the cotton fields to walking on the Moon. Merrimack Park Soccer Complex,

Tuesday, Aug. 2.
Birthday Party V: "Our Community Quilt, celebrating families, faith, citizenship and culture. Oakwood College,

Thursday, Aug. 4.
Unity Day: The grand finale was held on

Saturday, Aug. 6.
A bicentennial parade through downtown kicked off a day of fun and celebrations in the Big Spring Park. Athletes representing the five City Council districts led each City Council member in the parade. Each was the torchbearer for that district. During the opening ceremony, resolutions and proclamations from U. S. Sen. Richard Shelby, U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, Gov. Bob Riley, state Sen. Jeff Enfinger, state Rep. Laura Hall, Mayor Loretta Spencer, County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie and City Council President Richard Showers representing the five city council districts were presented.

The opening ceremony concluded with the lighting of the Unity Candle on the birthday cake and a fly over and hover by an Apache helicopter provided by the AD&G/Redstone Test Directorate made possible by Mayor General Jim Pillsbury, commanding general of Redstone Arsenal.

Decorated rockets were on display in the plaza of the Municipal Complex, and the historic markers provide a walk through history in the park. Music, entertainment, a presentation of international song and dance with representatives from numerous countries and children's activities were held in the Big Spring Park during the afternoon.

During the afternoon the Bicentennial Park was dedicated, and the jets in the water fountain started with jumping water for the enjoyment of the young and young at heart as children played in the water.
During the evening a bicentennial concert was performed by the Huntsville Symphony and the Huntsville Community Chorus. A spectacular fireworks display concluded the events of the day. Numerous organizations held bicentennial events during the year including the following:

The Huntsville Madison County Library also sponsored events to celebrate the Bicentennial year.
The Bicentennial Park situated above Huntsville's Big Spring serves to commemorate our city's foundation at this location. The Bicentennial Park is a legacy of the citizens of Huntsville for future generations, serving as a reminder of our history and our hopes for the future

The Bicentennial Park is a lasting way to mark Huntsville's 200th anniversary and will enhance Huntsville's cultural offerings, bring new visitors downtown, add green space and provide a venue for families to enjoy. This site is fitting because it is near Alabama Constitution Village where the first state constitution was signed in 1819 and is in close proximity to the Big Spring area.

The park features an interactive fountain for the young and young at heart to romp in, bench seating for observers, bronze statues, and a pavilion with 15-foot columns, Bicentennial Donor Walls and thousands of engraved bricks. The Bicentennial Park recognizes families throughout our region, particularly Huntsville, who leave a legacy to their children and grandchildren.

Hundreds of individuals attended the dedication of the park on Unity Day, and after walking through the park and viewing all of the wonderful engraved brick pavers, the Bicentennial Commission had numerous requests for additional engraved bricks before the bicentennial year ended. The brick campaign was reopened and concluded Sept 30. All additional engraved bricks will be placed in the park this month.

The time capsule to be opened in 2055 will be placed in Bicentennial Park in late fall. Historians and archivists from The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Oakwood College, Alabama A&M University, NASA/MSFC, Redstone Arsenal and the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library were invited to assist in helping shape the criteria for the contents of the 2055 time capsule.

The contents for the 2055 Time Capsule will be "A Snapshot in Time of Huntsville, Alabama in 2005." It is our wish to preserve a snapshot of our city as it is in 2005 for future generations in 2055 to look at and marvel at how our city has grown and changed in fifty years.

During the final part of 2005 we will continue to offer the historic markers to museums for permanent display, return all of the rockets to the owners, mail tax letters to all contributors, record the history of the Bicentennial year and plan the time capsule event.

It is truly rewarding to know that thousands of the citizens of Huntsville participated in and enjoyed celebrating the bicentennial year. We started with dreams and visions of what the celebrations would be and we planned, coordinated and executed these dreams with the help and support of citizens across the city. The bicentennial has truly been a unique, unifying and enlightening experience for Huntsville.